Slippery Slope
by whitherthen
Summary: Dean, Sam, and Ruby deal with the immediate aftermath of Heaven and Hell.
1. Chapter 1

Dean had no idea how it had come to this, stitching up a half-naked demon in some model home while Sam slept upstairs. Ruby sat on the kitchen table while he hunched over, doing his best with the mess Alastair had made of her thighs. The cuts were deep, and he was just some guy with a needle and thread. He wished for better light, more gauze, and that Ruby would stop shivering.

After he finished wrapping her legs she let her breath out in one heavy sigh, like she'd been holding it the whole time. He stood up, stretched his back, and took a swig from the whiskey on the counter.

"Shouldn't you be the sober one?" Ruby asked, holding out her open hand. Dean shrugged and gave her the bottle, then washed the blood off his hands in the sink.

"Stomach's gonna be worse," he said, looking over his shoulder at the towel she'd been pressing to the wound, "and you need to lay down so I can get to it." Dean turned off the water and dried his hands while Ruby situated herself. He approached the table and took a steadying breath, then lifted the towel. She cried out softly; the little pieces of fabric that had clotted their way in to the wound were tugging on her jagged skin.

"Want me to knock you out?" Dean asked, utterly without humor. He glanced over as Ruby shook her head, lips pressed together so tight that they were nearly white. Dean worked quickly to clean her mutilated flesh and thread another fifty stitches into her skin, which oozed each time he ran the needle through. Ruby didn't make another sound until he smeared on the nasty smelling paste she'd pulled out of her bag.

"That's my part," he said after applying the bandage, "and I guess your hoo-doo is gonna take care of the rest." Dean carefully pulled Ruby into a seated position then went back to the sink. He looked out the window, blind to the rapid descent of the sun. His thoughts were all screams, blood, and begging, and looking up from the bottom of the slippery slope he'd warned Sam about.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam woke to the sound of the creaking floorboard under the threshold of the bedroom door. He was on his feet, shotgun in hand, before realizing it was just Ruby. He shoved the gun back under the mattress and padded over to the foot of the bed. As his eyes adjusted to the minimal light, Sam saw the white gauze stretched over her bare skin. He couldn't help but reach out and trace the taped edge of the bandage on her stomach, just to make it real. Bobby said he'd shot her in the chest once and she'd barely flinched - this was new territory.

"It'll be fine, Sam," she said, pushing his hand away, "Just tell me where my bag is, and go back to sleep."

Sam walked past her and closed the door; her bag hung on the hook where he'd put it earlier. He pulled out the tank and shorts she usually slept in and set them on the edge of the bed before climbing back in to his spot; the sheets were already cold. He watched her change like he'd done a hundred times before, but this time her movements were slower, almost hesitant.

"You should sleep in here tonight," he said quietly, well aware that he was giving too much away with the request. She'd told him she was afraid of Alastair, and he'd sent her right into the lion's den without a second thought. More than that, she'd just obeyed without argument. He'd gotten more flack for screwing up her take-out order.

The bed shifted as Ruby climbed in, maintaining a respectable distance and lying with her back to him. After a few moments he felt her settle in and relax in preparation for sleep. Sam rolled to his side and moved closer until Ruby's body was flush against his. She lifted her head a bit and pulled her long curls under her neck. It had been weeks since they'd fallen asleep together, but Sam remembered the routine. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and her cold feet came to rest against his shins. Soon her breathing became slow and deep, and he listened for a long time before closing his eyes.


End file.
